Turf Talk Newsletter – 13 December, 2024

One Stripe winning the Punters Cup and he is now hot favourite to win the Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas (Picture: Wayne Marks)

The Gr 1 Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas to be run at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday is one of South Africa’s most prestigious races and One Stripe is going to be hard to beat despite facing nine other quality individuals.

Vaughan Marshall will be out to land a sixth Cape Guineas. A One Stripe victory will see him completing Cape Guineas wins with three generations of the same sire line, as he trained Captain Al to win it in 2000, won it with Captain Al’s sons William Longsword and Tap O’Noth in 2016 and 2017 respectively and One Stripe is a paternal grandson of Captain Al’s. One Stripe did not have cover throughout in a one out handy position in the Gr 2 Punters Cup last time and yet quickened superbly to catch his pacemaking stablemate All Out For Six to win cosily by 1,75 lengths. He had thus proved he stayed the mile trip. He has drawn pole position for the Cape Guineas and will be out to make it a fifth win in his seventh career start. Gavin Lerena is his incumbent pilot and rides him for the fourth time. Lerena is in fine form this season and leads the national jockeys log with 85 wins scored at a strike rate of 25.45%.

All Out For Six finished second in the Punters Cup, but was beaten in the Gr 3 Cape Classic over 1400m by Cape Guineas contenders Great Plains and Boundless Energy. He will likely ensure the race is run at a good pace, as he did in the Punters Cup, and his draw of ten is thus perfect as it will give him the room to get to the front.

Mike de Kock is also going for a sixth Cape Guineas and his exciting Rafeef colt Heather’s Boy jumps from draw four with in form Craig Zackey up. This big colt has a huge stride and will be improving all the time. This will be an acid test as he is unexposed to date, having raced in three ordinary events and won all three of them. He will enjoy a fast pace as he will need room to use his big stride. He should be staying on strongly late.

Sail The Seas showed a magnificent turn of foot from a handy position to beat older horses over 1600m last time and has a chance if able to overcome a wide draw.

Great Plains stormed home with long strides from off the pace to win the Cape Classic. In his only atttempt at this trip in the Gr 1 World Pool Moment Of The Day Champion Stakes he was too far back from a wide draw, so did well to run on for fourth. He has drawn well in two and has a shout.

Vercingetorix colt Boundless Energy showed a fine turn of foot from off the pace in the Cape Classic and looked the winner before Great Plains snuck down the inside and got there before him to beat him by half-a-length. Boundless Energy is drawn wide in eight but will likely be running on strongly again.

Eight On Eighteen is highly regarded and still needed it when a 2,75 length third in the Punters Cup. He is drawn six with Richard Fourie up and this classy Lancaster Bomber colt should make a bold bid as he has plenty of scope. His sire produced the Cape Guineas winner last year, Snow Pilot, and he is from the same Justin Snaith yard.

O’Tenikwa has a big stride and led a long way out last time out when winning impressively over 1200m. However, he has a wide draw in his first attempt at a trip beyond a sprint. He is a half-brother to Gr 3 winner over 1800m Kampala Kampari.

Bjorn Ironside is well regarded but was beaten 7,95 lengths by last year’s Cape Guineas winner Snow Pilot last time when receiving 8kg and on formlines that gives him no chance of getting close to One Stripe.

On My Honour was beaten 8,40 lengths in the Punters Cup and has a mountain to climb here.

One Stripe is selected to beat Sail The Seas with Eight On Eighteen, Boundless Energy and Heather’s Boy next best.

Earlier in the Gr 3 Victress Stakes over 1800m Saartjie has had one run this season, a 1,50 length third to Double Grand Slam in the Summer Bowl over 1600m. She should have come on from that run. This stalwart Andre Nel-trained Dynasty mare is weighted to win this race comfortably and can be bankered.

Later in the Gr 3 Ridgemont Peninsula Handicap over 1800m Triple Time has to carry second topweight of 60kg, but made a good comeback over a too sharp 1400m and is a consistent sort who should run well over this suitable trip from a good draw. Costal Commander can go close if repeating his Cape Derby fourth place finish last season. Future Swing should come into his own this season and can’t be ignored. Baratheon should also be in the shake up. The talented Rockpool is hard to ignore from pole position.

In the second leg of the Pick 6, a Maiden Plate over 1400m, Green Garnet can confirm form with Landoftherisingsun as he beat him by a length last time over this trip, although there will not be a lot in it.

In the sixth race over 1200m Riverstone is talented and showed signs of a form return last time so can win it off an atractive 89 merit rating. Kaiboy was beaten only 0,75 lengths by the crack colt Lion Rampart over course and distance last time, but copped an eight point raise. War Chariot is on the up and should be in the shake up carrying just 53,5kg and Nordic Chief and Dean Street could also be involved.

In the last leg of the Pick 6 Arctic Wizard looks potentially well handicapped considering his formlines and Paratrooper must also come into it then as he is 2,5kg better off with Arctic Wizard for a 1,40 length beating. Please Be True looks capable of improvement and Counter Attack and Cork Bay can also be considered.
In the first leg of the PA Tuscan Romance and Englefield Green can fight it out.

Saartjie will be hard to beat in the Gr 3 Splashout Victress Stakes over 1800m (Picture: Wayne Marks)

Hollywoodbets Kenilworth Cape Guineas Meeting Formguides And Selections

Race 1

There is only one horse with form in the race, 3 BLOWN AWAY will need to improve lengths from its debut run to be competitive here. There are some very well-bred horses, watch them in the parade ring and watch the market closely.

(Brandon Bailey: 6 – 5 – 1 – 4)

 

Race 2

9 BETWEEN THE LINES ran a lovely race on debut when finishing third behind Black Cheetah, she was very slow into stride out the gates and ran on well late, the market suggested that she is a filly that shows some good work at home, she will go very close to winning with natural improvement on the cards. The other two raced runners in the race will need to improve big time to be competitive. Again, there are many first timers in the race, watch them move down to the start and watch the market closely, that will be your best guide.

(Brandon Bailey: 9 – 10 – 1 – 8)

 

Race 3

9 ENGLEFIELD GREEN really caught the eye behind Russian Royal when she finished second on the 23rd of November, her form is very good and she is highly rated by the stable, she will go very close to winning this race. 1 TUSCAN ROMANCE never runs a bad race, she tries hard, with a similar performance of her last start, she will be right there in the finish again. 10 FROM A DISTANCE needed her last run behind Hope Chest, she stayed on really well late, her form is faultless, and she will be very competitive here. 2 WINTERONTHEGREEN improved nicely in her last start, she is probably looking for a bit more ground in time, but she is progressive and could sneak into the Quartets at a decent price.

(Brandon Bailey: 9 – 1 – 10 – 2)

 

Race 4

4 SAARTJIE would have needed her last run in the Summer Bowl where she was staying on strongly for third behind Double Grand Slam, she will love the 1800m trip, if she has made the necessary improvement back at home, she will be one of the better bets on the card. 1 RED PALACE was very disappointing in her last start, she had the run of the race and found nothing in the closing stages, she is far better than that performance and could easily win this race if she can put that last run behind her and bounce back to best form. 3 RAINBOW LORIKEET ran her absolute socks off last time behind Double Grand Slam, she has a striking turn of foot, include her into all bets. 5 GOLD POKER GAME has some decent form, she has a place chance here.

(Brandon Bailey: 4 – 1 – 3 – 5)

 

Race 5

3 GREEN GARNET fought hard all the way to the line last time behind Rich Folks Hoax when finishing second in a driving finish, he has had two runs now in the Western Cape and both starts were very good, this looks to be the perfect race for him to exit the maiden ranks from a good draw. 4 LANDOFTHERISINGSUN has always been held in high regard by the stable, he is a lovely looking gelding with some good form to his name, from a good draw here, he must have a good winning chance. 5 TUNGUSKA has been rested for 63 days, he is still improving, if he doesn’t need the run badly, he could earn again for the connections. 1 TENPENNY made big improvement from run one to run two, from a good draw, he must be respected.

(Brandon Bailey: 3 – 4 – 5 – 1)

 

Race 6

5 KAIBOY finished strongly for second behind Lion Rampart last time in the Listed World Sports Betting Sophomore Sprint, he is a horse packed with ability and class, with some luck in running up the straight at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth on Saturday afternoon, he will take lots of beating. 10 HANDSOME PRINCE is a beautiful looking gelding that caught the eye in his most recent start, he should be cherry ripe and there should be no excuses for him, include him into all bets. 6 WAR CHARIOT ran a cracker behind Gimmelightning on the 26th of November, he needs a particular ride and jockey JP v’d Merwe knows him well, if the race works out for him, he will be right there in the finish. 8 DUMBLEDORE is as honest as they come, with a similar performance of his last start, he can earn again.

(Brandon Bailey: 5 – 10 – 6 – 8)

 

Race 7

1 ONE STRIPE quickened up in devastating fashion last time to win the Grade 2 Cape Punters Cup, he is a star colt that will take lots of beating from a good draw. 2 GREAT PLAINS ran on powerfully to win going away at the line on the 2nd of November in the Grade 3 Cape Classic, he should improve lengths from that performance and must be respected. 6 EIGHT ON EIGHTEEN needed his last run badly behind One Stripe, he caught the eye late when running on for third, now that he is a fitter horse, he will be very competitive. 10 ALL OUT FOR SIX made his stable companion work hard for victory last time, he likes to race up on speed, if the race works out for him from a wide draw, he could earn again for The One World Racing Syndicate in this Grade 1 event.

(Brandon Bailey: 1 – 2 – 6 – 10)

 

Race 8

2 TRIPLE TIME was absolutely flying last time behind his stable companion Snow Pilot when he finished second, even though he will be better over further, he will be very competitive from a good draw. 6 FUTURE SWING is much better than his most recent start behind Daimyo, he drops back in trip to 1800m for this Grade 3 event, if he can build on his last performance, he will have a good each way chance. 4 OTTO LUYKEN will love the drop in trip, he is a big galloping individual that has no weight on his back, on his best form, he will have a good place chance. 5 MUCHO DINERO comes back to the races from a long break of 161 days, he is very talented on his day, if he doesn’t need the run badly, he could sneak into the places.

(Brandon Bailey: 2 – 6 – 4 – 5)

 

Race 9

3 ARCTIC WIZARD won a super race last time beating Fort Red in a good finish, he is a speedy colt that will try and lead them from start to finish here, watch him closely. 9 PLEASE BE TRUE has been rested and gelded, he should appreciate dropping in trip and racing up the straight at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth, include him into all bet types. 1 PARATROOPER stayed on well for third in a very competitive race on the 26th of November, he will always have a good each way chance at this level. 8 TOUGH TERRAIN has dropped a few points in the ratings, he likes to switch off early and race towards the back of the field and then comes with a storming finish late, at his best, he can easily win a race like this at a good price.

(Brandon Bailey: 3 – 9 – 1 – 8)

Can Heather’s Boy give Mike de Kock a 6th Cape Guineas victory (JC Photos).

Which young buck will follow in the hoof-steps of Horse Chestnut & co?

Mike Moon (The Citizen)

The Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas is one of those races that is never won by a bad horse, say wise old racing pundits. A glance at the honour roll confirms that.

Gold leaf might be fading from the names of Jerez, Colorado King, Renounce and Hawaii, but their Guineas victories in the 1960s are still cherished by racing fans of a certain age.

An epic battle in 1972 is probably the race’s most epic moment as two all time greats, In Full Flight and Sentinel, dead-heated.

That race kicked off racing’s golden age, in which the likes of Jamaican Music, Gatecrasher, Politician and Bold Tropic used the Cape Guineas as a springboard to legend status.

Great fillies made a rare mark in the early 1990 with the marvellous Star Effort becoming the only female to win both the Fillies Guineas and the Guineas. She was followed by Empress Club in 1992 and Little Ballerina in ’93.

The race’s influence on the thoroughbred bloodline was underlined by the subsequent triumphs of Jet Master, Horse Chestnut, Captain Al, Jay Peg, Capetown Noir, Act Of War, William Longsword, Soqrat and Charles Dickens.

The Cape of Good Hope Guineas was first run in 1955, when Marion Island landed the prize before going on to win the Cape Town Met. In the old days the venue was the long-gone Milnerton, where the mile was regarded by many as the finest stretch of turf in the country.

Saturday’s renewal of the Guineas, the Hollywoodbets Cape Guineas at Hollywoodbets Kenilworth, is being eagerly watched for the possible emergence of a new superstar.

Most watchers expect that to be One Stripe, a colt with four wins from six starts thus far. Trained by Vaughan Marshall and ridden by the in-form Gavin Lerena, the son of boom sire One World dipped to even money in the ante-post market this week.

Also boasting four victories (from seven) is Justin Snaith-trained Great Plains, who looked most progressive in his warm-up race six weeks ago.

Raiding from Joburg, Mike de Kock’s unbeaten Heather’s Boy faces his first real test but would not be a surprise winner.

The seven other runners have all shown exceptional talent and could mature and improve dramatically to upset the odds and go on to carve a niche in history alongside the likes of Colorado King and Horse Chestnut.

SELECTION:

4 Heather’s Boy, 1 One Stripe, 2 Great Plains, 6 Eight On Eighteen

Stevie Gee can make it two wins in a row in the 7th at Hollywoodbets Scottsville on Sunday (Picture: Candiese Lenferna Photography)

R1     (5) Holds The Key is the only raced horse in this contest and his debut effort was extremely good. He will be the firm first choice. Punters are urged to listen to trainer comments and watch the market as all other runners are unraced. ( Devonne Govender 5)

R2     (7) PAVED WITH GOLD made solid progress in the last start and will go very close in this contest. (1) AGRADO wasn’t beaten far on debut and will improve, lively challenger here. (8) PROMISE OF FIRE is another who will benefit from having a run under the belt and expected to be in the mix. (2) RAGNAR THE KING hasn’t been far in his last run so will get closer. (Devonne Govender 7-1-8-2)

R3     (1) CATAVAR hasn’t been far in recent starts and can get much closer so must be respected in a very open looking race. (8) REAL WAR is capable of much better, he has run well at this track hence he should be in the firing line. (3) HIGHER LOVE made improvement in the last start and can build on that so can get into the placings. (5) MY BOY LOLLIPOP was disappointing in the last start and can do better, he isn’t out of this contest. Watch betting on unraced runners. ( Devonne Govender 1-8-3-5)

R4     (1) SHE’S A BOMBER won extremely well in her last start and is expected to follow up on that effort with the apprentice claiming the 4kg allowance. She is on the up and will have a massive chance. (4) SASCHA’S DREAM wasn’t beaten far in the last start and looks progressive, Rachel Venniker claims the 1.5kgs which brings her right into the contest. (6) MYSTIQUE ROUGE is capable of winning here but can be reliable. (3) WEST SIDE STORY wasn’t beaten far and get into the quartets. ( Devonne Govender 1-4-6-3)

R5     (12) SELUKWE is holding solid form and despite the wide draw he will have a massive chance as he’s form speaks for himself. (11) MASTER OF DESTINY has a powerful finish and has run well at the track so will be a big challenger. (6) KITCHAKAL ran a cracker in the last start and will be huge contender if repeating that. (9) SPELLING BEE is much better than his last two runs and must be included in all bets.

R6     (2) TYRCONNELL has been consistent and will be a huge contender in this compact field with top rider Gavin Lerena aboard. (3) TERIYAKI is never far back and must go into all bets as he will enjoy the 1400. (6) VOLDEMORT ran well in the last start and can make the frame, include in quartets. (Devonne Govender 2-3-6)

R7     Open race. (1) STEVIE GEE is a very consistent type and another big run can expected. His last win on poly was impressive so he will be factor in the finish. (6) EL DRAQUE gets a top rider in the saddle so must be taken seriously. He is never far back and can strike here. (3) ONE IRISH ROVER loves to be on the speed and will have a chance with the apprentice taking weight of his back. (2) IRON WILL ran well enough in the last start and should be included in quartets. ( Devonne Govender 1-6-3-2)

R8     (2) IMMAH looks extremely progressive and will take some beating after running a cracking second in her last start. (4) FUTURE FLO is holding top form so must be respected. (9) TWENTY ONE MAY ran extremely well in the last start and will be a challenger here. (3) NDAKA has been consistent so must be included in quartets. ( Devonne Govender 2-4-9-3)

Dark Angel has been crowned 2024 champion sire of  Britain and Ireland (RacingFotos) 

By Emma Berry (TDN)

Thirty-five years after setting up in the stallion business, Gay and Annette O’Callaghan’s Yeomanstown Stud can look forward to an extra special Christmas celebration as the family toasts its homegrown hero Dark Angel (Ire), the 2024 champion sire of Britain and Ireland.

For anyone who has watched the tenacity with which Gay works the sales in tandem with his sons David, Guy and Robert, and often with Peter back over from America, it is easy to predict that the celebration won’t last long. For soon there will be mares to be foaled, and mares to be booked, not least to the farm’s latest recruit, the G1 July Cup winner Mill Stream (Ire).

Moreover, it is simply not the O’Callaghan way to sit around slapping each on the back. That said, there must be ample satisfaction in securing a first championship with a horse bred at the farm – from a mare sourced for just €12,000 – who went on to become a Group 1-winning two-year-old and was later bought back for stud duties. Since the stallion wing has been in operation, based at the family’s Morristown Lattin Stud but now branded solely as Yeomanstown, only Coolmore, Darley and Juddmonte have stood a champion sire.

Frankel (GB) broke the 31-year stranglehold of Coolmore when winning his first championship in 2021. Prior to that it had been passed between Sadler’s Wells, Caerleon, Danehill, Danehill Dancer (Ire) and Galileo (Ire), with Sadler’s Wells landing 14 of those titles and Galileo 12. Frankel is now a dual champion, with Dubawi (Ire) having been crowned champion in 2022, meaning that the title stayed in Britain for three consecutive years after a long drought. This, then, is a significant achievement as the laurels return to Ireland, but to Kildare rather than Tipperary.

“He did it the hard way,” says Gay O’Callaghan of his champion after being herded, along with David, Guy and Robert, into a meeting room at Tattersalls during the mares’ sale. Separating these men from the sale ring is no mean feat, so Gay’s next line makes this interviewer’s heart drop a little, when he adds, “He did it and nobody else did it for him. That’s all I can say.”

Encouragingly, though, he soon warms to the topic and is spurred on by his sons, the gang of four often completing each other’s sentences, which is perhaps not completely surprising from a family which works as such a tight-knit pack.

“I think what’s especially good is the fact that he’s a a sprinter-miler sire,” notes David. “Those 10, 12-furlong races generally have the bigger prize-money, so to be able to do it, generally just between six furlongs to a mile, it makes it extra special.”

Gay adds, “You have to win twice as many races.”

Fortunately, one of the hallmarks of Dark Angel’s offspring tends to be their durability. He was himself kept pretty busy as a juvenile, running nine times from mid-April, with his four wins including the G1 Middle Park Stakes and G2 Mill Reef Stakes. His disappearance from the track after that season was no reflection on his ability, more on the lack of opportunities for three-year-old sprinters at the time. The racing programme has been enhanced in this regard in the intervening years, in part because of the consternation caused by Dark Angel’s retirement to stud at the age of three back in 2008.

“They’re very sound. And they seem to improve from two to three, three to four,” says Gay of Dark Angel’s stock. “I mean, if they have a reasonable amount of ability too, they seem to progress and progress on a year-on-year basis.

“Take Charyn. From two to three to four, he got better and better. And I have no doubt if he raced next year, he would have won a Group 1 again.”

While they agree that they would have loved to see Charyn continue his racing career as a five-year-old, the O’Callaghans, perhaps more than anyone, are aware of the balance that must be struck when it comes to retiring a stallion at the right time to optimise his popularity with breeders.

“To rewind to the Dark Angel retiring at two for a second, it’s a different landscape now, in so far as, within a couple of years, because of, say, Holy Roman Emperor and him – they were the two high-profile ones around the time – it forced a change in the racing programme,” says David. “The Sandy Lane went from a Listed race to a Group 2, the Commonwealth Cup was brought in, and all of a sudden there was a three-year-old [sprint] programme. Because what had been happening historically was the three-year-olds got swallowed up by the four-year-olds or the older horses for the season. And if they came out of it the other side, they could compete at four, but it actually was to their detriment, and trying to compete with those horses actually finished them.

“So, for all that we got criticised, there wasn’t a three-year-old programme, and if you’d raced as much as Dark Angel did at two, what were you supposed to do at three? Usually fellas just gave them one or two runs at three and waited until they were four. But we certainly weren’t going to wait until the end of his four-year-old career. We needed a stallion.”

Guy adds, “And with Dark Angel, obviously Gay had bred him, so we had a very close relationship with the horse, so he meant a lot to us, and it made sense in our minds straightaway. Whereas it shocked a lot of people at the time, for us it was just so obvious.”

Another horse close to the family’s hearts, Charyn (Ire), has very much been this year’s poster boy for Dark Angel, with a season that combined that trademark toughness – kicking off on the opening day of the turf season at Doncaster – and including Group 1 victories at Deauville, Royal Ascot and on Champions Day. He too was bred by the O’Callaghan family, under the banner of Guy’s Grangemore Stud.

Charyn may now be ensconced at Sumbe’s Haras de Montfort & Preaux, alongside another multiple Group 1-winning son of Dark Angel, Angel Bleu (Fr), but there should still be excitement to come from this particular family. Nurlan Bizakov of Sumbe also owns Charyn’s two-year-old sister, who commanded 850,000gns at Book 1 last year, while the price for the current yearling climbed even higher. She was sold by Grangemore to Godolphin in October for 2.9 million gns.

It may all look so easy now, with Dark Angel having bestowed much kudos on Yeomanstown in his tenure there, but as every stallion master will tell you, the only thing you know about stallions is that you don’t know where the next good one will come from. The old maxim is that only one in ten makes it.

“One in 20, I’d say,” chips in Guy.

His father adds, “The first horse we ever stood was very successful, Common Grounds. Again, from a very humble beginning, covering 43 or 44 mares his first year because he raced in France, and there wasn’t as much known about the French racing at that stage as there is now. So I know a few people went to see him, and they didn’t like him.

“I remember the day we went to see him, we had to stand up in a dung heap and get him to walk around us to see if he could walk or not. But anyway, he wasn’t a great walker. But he was quite successful.”

Bred by Stavros Niarchos, Common Grounds (GB), a son of Kris (GB), was France’s champion two-year-old of 1987, winning the G1 Prix de la Salamandre and finishing runner-up in the G1 Prix Morny. He sired the Yeomanstown-bred Bad As I Wanna Be (Ire), who won the Prix Morny for Brian Meehan in 2000, the year Common Grounds moved to stand in Turkey.

“I suppose that would be the biggest mistake we ever made, I think, was selling him,” Gay reflects. “But you learn from these things, because to have got him to that pitch and to sell him was a monumental mistake. I know we were offered a lot of money for him and we had a nice purse but it was still a huge mistake.

“But, you know, he wasn’t gone out the door when we knew it was a mistake, when we looked around to try and replace him. But anyway, that’s history now.”

Indeed it is, and the stud business is largely about looking forward, to the next crop of foals, the next batch of runners, the longed-for star act. For Yeomanstown, there is plenty on the horizon.

Alongside Dark Angel stands the Classic-placed miler Shaman (Ire), by Shamardal, whose first three-year-olds will be in action in 2025, while Dark Angel’s fellow Middle Park winner Supremacy (Ire), one of the first sons of the rising star Mehmas (Ire) at stud, will have his first crop of juveniles at the track. Then there’s Mill Stream, who is about to embark on his first covering season.

With a number of the top horses each year already under the control of major owner-breeder operations, it is becoming harder for the independent stallion farms to recruit new talent. So just how early in a racehorse’s career are they put on the watch list?

“I suppose once they get their first group win, and if they are by something good, you kind of follow along,” says Robert. “But you can’t go buying a heap of maiden winners and Listed winners in the hope they’re going to turn into something. You nearly have to wait until they actually win a Group 1. You can waste a lot of money quickly on promising looking horses that never do anything ever again. That’s a high-risk strategy.”

David adds, “A prime example would be Kind Of Blue at the end of the season. A lot of people would have loved the idea of him. And he had been knocking on the door. Somebody came in and bought him [Wathnan Racing] and he went and won the Group 1 the next day. So, it’s a great success, but in so many of those cases, a horse with a similar profile doesn’t win the Group 1 and all of a sudden, you’re left carrying the can. The horse is not worth anything like what you may have paid for him. So, you know, well done to them. But it’s a very risky business, buying them just before they do it. Inevitably, in the long run, you’re better off to wait until it’s done, and it makes them harder to buy, but not all that much, as in, potential is always worth an awful lot anyway.

“So, it’s so hard to get the balance right. But generally, once they have it done, at least there’s no doubt. As opposed to, there’s so many horses get close and don’t quite get over the line.”

Peter, Gay and Robert O’Callaghan | Tattersalls

Gay speaks from experience when he notes, “I’d say the biggest problem is finding horses that will be sold, because there are two very big outfits that have huge power, and they inevitably turn up with a really good two-year-old or three-year-old. So, in that case, you’re getting something that falls in the middle a little bit. Take Mill Stream – Peter Harris is a single owner and he’s quite an elderly man now, so I thought he’d race him next year, and so did the trainer.”

Mill Stream, just like Charyn, has unquestionably had his best season as a four-year-old, winning the G2 Duke of York Stakes and finishing third in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes before his July Cup triumph. The most expensive yearling by his sire Gleneagles (Ire) in 2021 when sold for 350,000gns to Anthony Stroud by his breeder Jimmy Murphy of Redpender Stud, he was obviously a looker from the start.

David says, “Most people actually remember him as a yearling here [at Tattersalls], because he made a big price. He was a very talked-about horse at the sale.

“Gleneagles was a champion two-year-old, he was a precocious horse himself and won two Guineas. He was always going to get a few fast ones and this horse is from a very fast family on the dam’s side. So, you know, he actually fits into that mould, because he’s a big, beautiful horse with strength and scope, so hopefully he’ll get the same kind of horses as Dark Angel was getting: sprinters who will stay a mile. You wouldn’t imagine he would be pigeonholed as a five-furlong, six-furlong sprinter.”

Peter Harris, who turned 90 in March, will also be returning to the breeding fold to support Mill Stream. The former trainer was also a highly successful breeder at his Pendley Farm, which boasts yet another Middle Park winner, Primo Valentino (Ire), as one of its star graduates for Harris.

Robert adds, “Since we bought Mill Stream, we’ve met Peter Harris a few times and his enthusiasm is just amazing. He has a genuine passion for the game.”

Mill Stream is out of the Hellvelyn (GB) mare Swirral Edge (GB), a winning two-year-old herself who notched a notable double when her sons Mill Stream and the G2 Richmond Stakes winner Asymmetric (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}) won consecutive Listed races in Deauville on the same day in August 2023. The O’Callaghans picked up another member of her family at Tattersalls in July when buying Rare Jewel (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}), out of the mare’s half-sister Fashion Queen (GB) (Aqlaam {GB}) and in foal to Shaquille (GB), for 125,000gns.

“It’s such a very good family,” says David. “A lot of very fast, good-looking yearlings came out of that family. It’s been on the commercial breeders’ radar for a long time, so hopefully they’ll appreciate it. And we’re well invested in the family now.”

Robert admits that, though the brothers may differ when selecting mares, foals or yearlings, when it comes to buying stallions they are “singing from the same hymn sheet”.

David adds, “Well, if we can’t agree on what stallion to buy, how are we going to expect to get support from the breeders? It kind of needs to be a no-brainer. So it has to make sense on every level for us, and then it will make good sense for them.”

One thing that they can certainly agree on is that, no matter the flak they may have taken for it at the time, the best decision ever made by the Yeomanstown team was to bring Dark Angel back to the farm.

Gay says, “I suppose basically he did it with a common or garden mares. He didn’t have the blueblooded mares at his fingertips the whole time. He was made by small breeders. He didn’t cover a lot of mares the first year, about 65, I think it was. There were some articles written, saying that he shouldn’t have gone to stud, and that hurt us at the time.”

Clearly still affronted by that response, he adds, “That did hurt. But he’s 20 at the turn of the year, and he has earned it. He’s been everything to us.”

The Craig Mayhew-trained Flamboyant Flyer, ridden by Kaidan Brewer, makes it a treble for Erupt at the Vaal Classic track meeting on Thursday. (JC Photos). 

Cape Breeders

Maine Chance Farms’ dual G1 winning sire Erupt had a memorable day on Thursday. The son of Dubawi had three winners at the Vaal, with Erupt progeny winning races one, four and five.

Erupt had also enjoyed success at Turffontein last Saturday where his son MK’s Dreams won the seventh race on the card, and he had a winner today (Friday) on the Fairview poly with Russian Empire.

Erupt filly Lady Sabrina got off the mark convincingly when she won Thursday’s 4Racing Welcomes You Work Riders Maiden Plate (F and M) over 1600m.

The Weiho Marwing trained three-year-old, making just her third start, hit the front full of running and powered away to win by a decisive three lengths.

Bred by the Ralphs Syndicate, Lady Sabrina is out of the Captain Al mare Captain Wheelson.

Erupt struck again on Thursday when his four-year-old daughter Mount Etna won the TAB Telebet 0861 000 822 FM Divided Handicap over 2000 metres.

Under Chase Maujean, the Fanie Bronkhurst trained filly romped away to win by three lengths.

Bred by Keivan Stud, Mount Etna has won four times and has finished first, second or third in each of her last four starts.

Mount Etna is out of the Dynasty mare Kenton On Sea.

Erupt’s third win on Thursday came when his daughter Flamboyant Flyer Take A Bet Wina Numba Numba FM 70 Divided Handicap over 2000 metres.

The Craig Mayhew-trained four-year-old made it back-to-back wins by staying on gamely to win by half a length.

Bred by Maine Chance, Flamboyant Flyer, who is out of the Silvano mare Frequent Flyer, has won three times.

Winner of the G1 Juddmonte Grand Prix de Paris and G1 Pattison Canadian International, Erupt is a proven source of high-class performers including Zimbabwean champion Buster Barnes and G3 Betway Graham Beck Stakes winner Moonlight Trader.

American Dream (Jay Peg) makes it a treble for the Craig Zackey and Gavin Smith combination on the Fairview poly today (Friday). (Pauline Herman Photography). 

Craig Zackey rode a treble for Gavin Smith on the Fairview poly today and that puts him one behind Gavin Lerena on the national jockeys log.

Zackey is now on 84 wins for the seas0n at a strike rate of 17%.

Lerena is on 85 wins.

Richard Fourie is in third place on the national log on 79 wins after riding a single winner today.

Smith is on 43 wins at 11.20%.

He is ten behind his arch East Cape rival Alan Greeff, who had a double today.

The picture gives a clue to the answer

Which jockeys in the last 50 years have won the Met and the July in the same season?

Picture: Felix Coetzee, the only jockey in the last 50 years to have twice won both the Met and the July in the same season.

1978 Bertie Hayden won The Met on Politician and the July on Politician.

1988 Felix Coetzee won the Met on Mark Antony and the July on Royal Chalice.

1990 Felix Coetzee won the Met on Jungle Warrior and the July on Illustrador.

1993 Anton Marcus won the Met on Empress Club and the July on Dancing Duel

1998 Anthony Delpech won the Met on Imperious Sue and the July on Classic Flag

2008 Bernard Fayd’Herbe won the Met on Pocket Power and the July on Pocket Power